Pipe-joint.



C. FORTH.

PIPE JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20. 1913.

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

COLUMBIA PMNDORAPH $0.,WA5HINDTON, D. c.

Boston, in theicounty of Sufi'olk and" State a ing drawing. i

of Massachusetts, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements ,in: Pipe eJoints, of which the following is a specification, ref-1 erence being had therein in to the; accompany- This vinvention relates c, to apipe joints of the type embodying; hollow; send;v members I and an intermediate hollow connecting member, the objects of the i'nventionbeing to provide a construction in which the parts.

willgbe' capableof awfreedom :of relative movements, line all directions and. in which there will be provisionffor adjusting the several members relatively to each other to take up the wear of thewpartswand to pree serve their proper; operative relationsiin 1= ef-a fecting fluid-tight connection; s

The invention is applicable more pan. ticularlyxtothe .fballand isocket :type? of joint and it consistsrin combination vwithca 25 central hollow section. provided. with ball. members, socket i members :applied thereto, confining members I engaging a 1 the socket members and 2a common adjusting device:

I surrounding :the central section land operatively engaged iwith athefliconfining membore, the construction and iarrang ement of the parts being such that by theactuation of the adjusting device, both of the confining member-Swill be moved uniformly and simultaneouslyand will act to adjust and retain the socket members in'proper fluidtight engagementwith theball members. 1

The invention also consistsinthe provision'of compression springs between the ad justing device and the confining members, in such relation to said parts 'thatth e socket members will be held with a regulable spring pressure in contact with the ball members.

The invention consists also of thedetails of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a side elevation partlyjin section of a pipe joint having'my' "invention embodied therein. Figs. 2,78, 4 and 5 are plan views of details ofthe device. I

YCHABLES some; onnostron, MASSACHUSETTS;

jspecification'of-Letters Patent.

ApplicationfiledSeptmberflO, 191-3.

. ward each other;

PIER-JOINT.

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

SeriaPNo: 790,826.

improved joint comprises a central hollow section having fixed to its opposite? ends hollow ball members 2, 2; hollow socket members 3, 8, applied to the ball:

members so that they may rock relatively thereto in all angular directions confining members 4, 4, engaging respectively the socket members and confining members as will be more fully described hcreinafteri I The 5 socket ,members are formed with rounded ,or spherical outer, surfaces 3 3*,

and theyaare provided with threaded stems 3, for;the' attachment of the pipe termi-f nals theretofl 1 The confining membersloosely engage the curved external surfaces of the socket members in such manner that these members will;

be permitted "to rock Efreely. on the ball member universally in relation to the confining members; while being subject to the confining action offsaid members; The confining members consist each of a. number oi: rods e, 4, four in the present instance,-which extendjlongitudinally of the section "1 and are arranged. at intervals therearound. At their outer ends these rods dle of the section 1, at which point the two met.

extending inwardly tow and a common adjusting. device ,5, surrounding the. central section 1, and having operative engagement with both The two sets of rods of the re-' sets of rods pass loosely through openings 9, 9, '9, 9, respectively in two annular hearing plates .10, 10, surrounding the central section '1, the rods being confined in the plates by means of keys '12, extending through the ends of the rods at the inner sides of the plates and affording a bearing "for the respective plates. The plates justing device is annular in form and consists of a sleeve loosely encircling the cen-' tral section midway between its ends and of the confining members,

being provided at its center with a projecting head or flange 5?, for turning it. 7

From the construction described it will be understood that the adjusting device is in operative engagement with the confining members through the medium of the two washer plates 15 screwed on said adjusting device and the compression springs between said washer plates and the bearing plates so that by the actuation of the adjusting device the motion of the washer plates will be transmitted to the confining members which will in turn act on the socket members. Further it will be noted that by reason of the interposition of the compression springs 14, as described, the confining members will act with a spring efiect on the socket members which spring efiect may be varied as to tension by the adjustments of the washer plates by the rotation of the adjusting sleeve. lI/ith the parts of the device arranged as shown in Fig. 1, the confining members will act to draw the two socket members yieldingly against the respective ball members and the socket members will be permitted to move relatively to the ball members in all angular directions as well as being capable of a swiveling motion around an axis coincident with the axis of the central section, the outer surfaces of the socket members in these movements slipping past the antifriction rollers or rotating said rollers according to the character of the movement whether a rocking movement or a true swiveling movement. Inthe event of the contacting surfaces of the ballmembers and the socket members becoming worn, the compression springs will automatically take up the looseness and by means of the adjusting device the parts may be caused to engage with a greater or less degree of closeness as the conditions encountered in practice may demand.

It will be observed that the adjusting device is common to both confining members and that the actuation of the said device will move said confining members uniformly and simultaneously with the result that the same degree of pressure and the same extent of movement will be imparted to the socket factory degree the ends to be obtained. It

will be understood however, that the device may be variously modified and changed as regards its details without departing from the spirit of the invention and it will be understood further that the invention is not limited to any particular form or construe:

tion of the parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims. .7

Having thus described my invention what I claim is: 1

1. In a pipe joint, the combination of a hollow central section provided with ball members, hollow socket members applied to the ball members, confining members engag ing the socket members respectively and extending inwardly toward each other, and

an annular adjusting device rotatively' mounted on the central section and operatively connectedwith' said confining members for adjusting the latter.

2. In a pipe joint, the combination of a hollow central section provided with ball members, hollow socket members applied to the ball members, external confining members engaging the socket members respectively, springs engaging the confining members respectively, and a common adjusting means rotatively mounted on the central section and engaging said springs.

. 3. In a pipe joint, the combination of a hollow central section provided with ball members, hollow socket members applied tothe ball members, confining members en-.

gaging the socket members respectively, springs engaging the confining. members, movableseats for the springs, and a common adjusting device for said seats.

,4. In 'a pipe joint, the combination of a hollow central section provided with ball members, hollow socket members applied to the ballmembers, confining members engaging the socketmembers respectively and extending inwardly toward each other, spiral springs bearing at their inner ends against the confining members respectively, threaded movable washer plates forming seats for the outer ends of the springs, and a threaded adjusting sleeve encircling the central section and having screw engagement with said washers. V j V 7 V 5. In a pipe joint, the combination of a hollow central section provided with ball members, socket members applied thereto,

confiningi members engaging the socket members and provided with bearing plates 1,154,985 I y a surrounding the central section, an annular In testimony whereof I have aflixed my adjlusting cleviice alsodsurrounding thedclelfr' signature in presence of two witnesses.

tra section an rovi ed with ri ht an e t hand screws tln eaded washer pl ates engag- CHARLES FORTH ing with said screws respectively, and Witnesses: springs seated between the bearing plates ALVOY BLAIR, and washer plates. R. LAROSE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

